The author of Smart Swarm believes studying social creatures can
give us a better understanding of our own complex systemsGroups
always tend to work better than individuals in nature. Ant
colonies, beehives, termite mounts, flocks of birds, schools of
fish are healthier, smarter and stronger when working in teams, the
sum much greater than the parts. Ants, in particular, have become
the poster creature for social society, to the extent that their
social behaviour is so highly evolved that nothing an ant does
makes sense outside of how it serves its colony. They have
perfected a life that is more collegiate than anything achieved by
humans, and had developed architecture and built farms millions of
years before our primate ancestors had even considered walking on
two legs. Now scientists are looking at how ants and other
creatures that function efficiently in colonies or swarms might
help humans better manage complex...